2000
#72,905
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 248
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.09
Very Rare Last name
Warmsley
A locational surname derived from a place called Warmsley, likely referring to someone who lived in that location.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 310 Americans carry the last name Warmsley. That puts it at #76,719 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,105,659 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Warmsley surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Warmsley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
310
1 in 1,105,659
Census rank
#76,719
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
270
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 270 bearers of the surname Warmsley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 76719th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Warmsley, the largest self-reported group is Black at 81.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.4%) and Two or More Races (7.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Warmsley
The surname Warmsley is of English origin, derived from the Old English words 'wearm' meaning warm and 'leah' meaning a meadow or clearing. It first emerged in the 11th century, referring to someone who lived near a warm meadow or clearing.
One of the earliest known records of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Warmesleah'. This entry suggests the name was already well-established in parts of southern England by the late 11th century.
As the name evolved over time, various spellings emerged, including Warmeslie, Warmesleigh, and Warmsley. Some of the earliest references to these variations can be found in medieval records from counties like Gloucestershire and Wiltshire.
One notable bearer of the name was Sir John Warmsley (1547-1621), a member of the English gentry from Gloucestershire. He served as a Member of Parliament and was known for his involvement in local politics and community affairs.
Another prominent figure was Reverend Thomas Warmsley (1612-1665), an English clergyman who served as the Vicar of Stratton in Wiltshire during the mid-17th century. He was recognized for his contributions to religious education and community service.
In the 18th century, the name can be found associated with the Warmsley Manor in Gloucestershire, which was owned by the Warmsley family for several generations. This further emphasizes the name's roots in the region.
The 19th century saw the emergence of Samuel Warmsley (1819-1892), a renowned English architect who designed several notable buildings in London and other parts of the country.
Another notable bearer was Mary Warmsley (1855-1932), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights. She played a significant role in establishing educational opportunities for women in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
While the name Warmsley is not among the most common surnames today, its rich history and origins can be traced back to the medieval period in England, where it was closely associated with specific regions and families.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Warmsley
Among Census respondents with the surname Warmsley, the largest self-reported group is Black at 81.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.4%) and Two or More Races (7.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Warmsley bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Warmsley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American81.1% · 219
- Hispanic or Latino7.4% · 20
- Two or more races7.4% · 20
- White3.3% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Warmsley
Warmsley appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#70,645
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 277
+29 bearers (+11.7%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Up 2,260 places
2020
#76,719
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 270
-7 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Down 6,074 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #72,905 | 248 | 0.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #70,645 | 277 | 0.09 | +29 bearers (+11.7%) | Up 2,260 places |
| 2020 | #76,719 | 270 | 0.09 | -7 bearers (-2.5%) | Down 6,074 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Warmsley surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #70,645 | #76,719 | -8.6% |
| Count | 277 | 270 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.09 | 0.09 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Warmsley bearers went from 277 to 270 (-2.5% change). The surname moved down 6,074 positions in the national ranking, going from #70,645 to #76,719.
FAQ
Warmsley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Warmsley?
Name Census estimates that about 310 living Americans carry the surname Warmsley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,105,659 residents.
How common is Warmsley?
Warmsley ranks #76,719 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 270 people with the surname Warmsley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (310), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.09 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Warmsley.
Has Warmsley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Warmsley went from 277 recorded bearers to 270. That is a decrease of 7 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #70,645 to #76,719.
What does the Census say about the background of Warmsley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Warmsley, the largest self-reported group is Black at 81.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.4%) and Two or More Races (7.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Warmsley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.1% (219 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Warmsley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (81.1%), Hispanic (7.4%), Two or More Races (7.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Warmsley (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Warmsley mean?
A locational surname derived from a place called Warmsley, likely referring to someone who lived in that location. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Warmsley (0.09 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Warmsley?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.